


Never Enough

by sabishisa



Category: Far Cry 3
Genre: Animal Death, Canon-Typical Violence, Drug Use, Explicit Language, Hand Jobs, Implied/Referenced Prostitution, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Imprisonment, Kidnapping, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Racist Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-06
Updated: 2016-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-25 03:06:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4944424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabishisa/pseuds/sabishisa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason gets roped into helping Vaas reclaim the islands after Hoyt's death.  As Vaas starts to get into his brain (and into his pants), Jason realizes that the Islands have changed him more than he could ever have imagined.  (plenty of drug use and very rough porn ahead so please be wary if that's not something you're looking for)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Running in place

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I really hope this is okay because I have not written in a loooong time x__x Also, I have to warn anyone that reads, I write slowly so don't expect weekly updates. Comments and kudos are sure to nudge me a long a little faster, tho ^.~ Just a little heads up, this chapter is quite tame but the rating will pick up rather quickly. So, here's hoping I can still write worth a crap.

'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'  
'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.  
'I don't much care where —' said Alice.  
'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat  
_\- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll_

\----

The dull hum and rattle of the motor was the only sound coming from the piece-mail boat. The small group of friends sat in a tight circle, saying nothing and barely even looking at one another. Well, all except one. Jason sat as far from everyone else as possible, knees drawn up and his forehead resting on his folded arms, shielding himself from the mix of accusing and questioning eyes of his friends. While speeding away from Rook, his friends had been thankful and jubilant. As the islands faded from view, the questions began. Who was Citra? Why did she call him her warrior? Were they sleeping together? How could he cheat on Liza? Was he high? How did he loose the tip of his finger? What happened to Hoyt, to Vaas?

And Jason had answered, even told the truth. Problem was, the truth wasn't what any of them had wanted it to be. By the time all the questions had stopped, the narrowed glares and owl-like stares of disbelief had started. Even though he'd done it all for them, the islands had changed him and while he liked who he had become, his friends could barely recognize him. They would never accept the new Jason. He knew that much for certain. And even though he knew he was ostracized, he didn't feel bitter about it. They would go home and eventually return to a normal life of casual safety. Jason would return home and... 

Well, he had no idea. Home didn't even seem very appealing at this point. He couldn't think of anything waiting for him there anymore. If Liza's poison-filled glares were any indication, that bridge was well and completely burnt. Jason was a little surprised when he realized he was okay with that as well. 

"H-hey, um, Jay..." Riley stood in front of him, looking as if he were talking to a stranger instead of his own brother. He waited until Jason grunted an acknowledgement before continuing. "We're gonna stretch a tarp over at the end of the boat. Try to keep from getting too sunburned, yanno? Can you take the wheel for Daisy?"

Jason looked over to Daisy, who gave him a quick, half-genuine smile. "Just keep us going north, north-west. I'm hoping we hit Vietnam, if we're lucky, maybe even back to Thailand."

"Yeah, sure. You probably need a rest anyway, Daisy."

She nodded as she stood and moved to let Jason take her place. "I do. You don't mind?"

"Nah. Go sleep. I can handle this."

Riley took Daisy's wrist and tugged her over to the back of the boat where they were already working on tying a ragged tarp to the sides of the boat, providing them a small shelter to huddle under. Jason could hear Liza steadily lecturing about all the horrible affects of sunburn. 'No thank you,' Jason thought to himself. Being cooped up and cramped did not sound like his idea of a good time. Manning the boat, even if he didn't have a single clue where he was going, suited him just fine.

The sun was quickly dropping in the sky, forcing Jason to slow the boat. Daisy had worked miracles on this heap but those miracles had not included the headlights. Riley checked on him once more and Jason assured him that he could handle the boat while the others slept. A few hours later, the quiet and dark began causing Jason's eyelids to droop. After the third time of jolting back awake, Jason shook his head and rubbed roughly at his face. As he dropped his hands, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. Thinking it a mosquito, he reached back to knock it away. 

"Oh, fff..." He just did feel the tube of the tranquilizer dart when his vision swam. He heard a gasp behind him, followed by Daisy's voice, though she sounded a lot farther away than was possible on their small boat. Jason tried to stand but his thigh muscles seemed unresponsive. Another dart pricked his skin just below his shoulder blade and blackness began to bleed into his vision. He tried to speak but the words thickened on his tongue. He heard himself fall to the floor without actually seeing or feeling it.

\---

Jason's consciousness returned like a slap to the face. His eyes shot open and he began struggling violently against the ropes that kept him from sitting up. The laugh that followed made him freeze. He squeezed his eyes shut in a vain attempt at denial.

"Go on, white boy. Fight as much as you want. Tied those ropes myself and you-" Jason felt a tap on his head. " - are not going anywhere." 

No, no, no-no-no... they were free! It was over, Vaas was long dead.

"'Fraid not, Snow White."

Jason hadn't realized he was muttering his thoughts aloud. He squeezed his lips shut as well.

There was a few seconds of silence before Jason heard movement. Cloth and boots. Moving in front of him.

"Open your eyes."

Jason refused. It could be a dream. Nightmare. Hallucination. Anything as long as it would mean this wasn't real.

"I said OPEN your FUCKING EYES! You are so FUCKING RUDE, Jason. I kept my promise. I did. I was reborn. Just like I said. And you won't even look at me? You won't even LOOK AT ME?!"

The sharp edge at Jason's throat set off his survival instincts and his eyes opened finally, glaring and snarling as he snatched away from Vaas' knife. 

"You will look at me or I will cut your eyes open, you hear me, Jason? Huh? HUH?!" Vaas pressed the knife harder and Jason could feel that mild sting that came just before the blade began to cut.

"Yeah," Jason croaked, the combination of dryness and pressure on his throat making it hard to speak. 

Instantly the knife was gone, slipped silently back into its sheath. Seemingly calmed, Vaas plopped down on the hard-packed dirt floor and crossed his legs, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees and hands propping up his head. He grinned widely at Jason. "See, since I'm sure your little suburban boy head is still reeling, I'm going to be a nice guy and explain aaaall the things that happened after you stumbled your ass out of my house." Vaas' voice went from playful to dripping with venom, though his grin never faltered. "After you fucking stabbed me, asshole, I had to get stitches. Laid me up pretty good. Gave me time to think. To plan. And then I hear you got rid of not just Sam but Hoyt too?" Vaas chuckled mirthlessly. "Had to go see that for myself. Make sure you didn't fuck it up like you did with me. And then, while I'm fucking looking at Hoyt's decaying body, I get word that my sister's dead and you fucking assholes are heading home, nice and happy, the end." Vaas grabbed Jason's chin suddenly, squeezing hard enough to hurt. His voice became a menacing growl. "You tear through my entire life and then try to slide off into the sunset without even saying goodbye?" He released Jason's face, shoving it away as if in disgust and stood. 

"Where's my brother and my fr- oof!" Jason's questions were cut off when a boot to the gut forced all of his air out of him at once. The kick wasn't meant to do much harm, just enough to shut him up.

"You think you have the right to question me?!" Vaas' voice became frantic and agitated. "No, no, no, hermano, you don't understand. I am jefe now. I give the fucking orders! I ask the fucking questions!"

Jason looked up to watch Vaas pacing a few steps back and forth, suddenly seething.

"You. You, you FUCKing white boy. You useless fucking FUCK, come here and now everything is different. I had it worked out. It was good. Hoyt kept me happy, Citra hid out in her little temple, free beer and puss whenever I wanted it. Good." Vaas drew his hand in a straight line before himself. "And then..." He wagged a finger at Jason, looking like a mother chastising her child. "You come along. You changed everything. Took everything. Do you- Do you realize-" Vaas moved to squat in front of Jason. "- how much of my life you changed?"

Jason knew he was asking for a punch to the face but he couldn't sit quietly while Vaas ranted any longer. "Not enough. Not until I take your goddamned life."

The punch didn't come. In fact, Vaas seemed to pause and look thoughtful.

"Well, that is not going to happen," the pirate announced after a few seconds. "But, I tell you, here is what _is_ going to happen." He smacked Jason's face gently. "Paying attention? Yes, good. See, I've got you. And your friends. Oh, and that sweet little piece of ass brother you got? Yeah, he's being taken real good care of."

"WHERE IS RILEY?! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU IF YOU TOUCH HIM! I'LL-"

Now the punch came and Jason choked on the blood from his split lip.

"Shut up and listen. I'm _telling_ you where he is. So rude. Riley, is it? Well, Riley is in one of my hidden camps. You know, not one of the ones you and those jungle monkeys fucking ransacked. He's in a cage, nice and safe. They can't get to him." Vaas held up a finger in front of Jason's face. "But! There is a key to that cage. And only I know where it is. They get that key, Jason, and your baby brother is going to grow up real fast, if you know what I mean." He smiled widely. "Picked that crew myself. Only the finest sadists, rapists, and child molesters these islands have to offer for you and your family, oh yes sir."

"If you kill him, I swear-" 

Vass pressed his finger to Jason's lips to silence him. "Hush. I'm not going to kill him. Your friends, maybe. But not that one. He stays alive. He is my insurance for your good behavior. See, as long as I have him, I have you." Vaas smiled brightly. "Isn't that wonderful? You act up, who knows what I might let them do to him?" He leaned in close and Jason could smell the combination of cigar smoke and tequila on the other man's breath. "Some people say I'm pretty messed up in the head, hermano. Just between you and me." Vaas held a finger to his own lips and shushed playfully. 

Jason fought to absorb the information, his emotions moving freely across his face. Vaas made a good point. Even if he did manage to escape, there was no telling what could be done to his brother by the time Jason could find him. He'd crawled more of the Rook Islands than he cared to remember and not a single area stood out as possibly being a hidden camp. Even if Vaas was lying and this was any of the camps he did know about, it would take Jason months to physically check them all without intel from the Rakyat and Dennis.

"You're thinking about it, I can tell. You're fucked Jason. Hard and deep. But here's the deal."

"Deal?" Jason's eyebrows furrowed deeply. What deal was there to be made when Vaas had him by the balls?

"They say I'm nuts, not neccessarily heartless. Well, they might say that too. I usually blow their brains out before we get that far."

"What deal?" Jason hissed between clenched teeth. He was running out of patience for Vaas' endless rambling.

"You're going to love it. The way I see it, I owe you a little. See, I killed your brother, you kill my sister. That put us even. Then you had to go and be extra nice and knock off Hoyt. And I don't like being in debt, Jason." Vaas made his hands into a little triangle, looking very serious as he spoke. "With Hoyt gone, the pirates and privateers are a bit... scattered. Unorganized. I'm taking the fuck over. But some of them haven't quite gotten the message. And since you put us in this situation, you get to play messenger boy. You and me, we're gonna unite these islands again. As we go along, I let your friends go one by one. By the time I've got my kingdom back, all your little playmates will be safe at home with mommy and daddy."

"And my brother?"

"When its all over, I give you the key and coordinates and you skip off into the sunset."

"Just like that?"

Vaas spread his hands. "Just like that."

Something had to be up. It couldn't be that easy. Jason stared Vaas down, doing his best to read some sort of inconsistency in his tone or body language. "Why can't you do it yourself," he asked finally. "It's not like they're gonna take the time to listen to anything I have to say."

"Oh, you're not there to talk, Jason. No, no, no. You're just going to help me put down the hyenas that think they can wrestle this kill away from me."

Now Jason really didn't believe it. "You're going to put a gun in my hands?"

"Yep. That's why this is perfect! No one's expecting the Great White Menace!"

Jason scowled. It didn't feel right, didn't seem to add up, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't put a finger on any specific thing. With Riley at stake, he was all but powerless. The best he could do for now was go along with Vaas' crazy plan and hope he could figure out where his brother was being held. Speaking of... "Where's everyone else? My friends."

"Here. You can see them. Tell them the plan. Make sure they don't go home and try to stir shit up. Make sure they know I won't hesitate to blow their brains out if they wanna argue this plan."

"... Okay. I wanna see them, then."

Vaas shook his head. "Not tonight. I'm gonna get you some food in here and we're gonna talk strategy. I'm not stupid enough to let you run wild. Baby steps, hermano. Behave and we'll go from there. Comprende?"

It wasn't as if he was in a position to argue. "Yeah, I comprende. You at least going to untie me? I can't feel my fucking hands."

Vaas laughed and clapped his hands in front of him amiably. "I'd almost forgot!" He took a step towards his captive but stopped short and pointed a chastising finger. "You behave yourself or your little bro is gonna be the one paying for it."

Jason clenched his teeth hard enough he could hear them creak against one another but managed a curt nod.

"Good boy." Vaas slipped his knife free and made quick work of sawing through the ropes around Jason's wrist. He jerked back once the rope popped free, hesitating a few seconds before moving on to the ropes at his knees and finally his ankles. Jason waited until Vaas moved away from him before kneading his hands together, trying to get the blood flowing to them faster. He pushed himself up off the floor, sitting cross-legged. He and Vaas watched each other closely, neither moving or speaking. It was Jason who finally broke the silence.

"Got anything to eat?"

Vaas laughed. Not a crazy laugh, but a genuine one that crinkled at the corners of his eyes. Jason couldn't help but note the vast difference in his face. Normally Vaas was intimidating to the point of being scary. This Vaas was genial, almost welcoming. It was gone in an instant. Vaas snatched the heavy door open and barked an order to 'bring in the stuff'. He pushed the door wide open and stepped back, giving Jason look that was heavy with warning. Jason didn't move, watching in silence as two men began bringing in items. A bedroll, a chair, a small table, and finally, a plate of food. Jason wasn't even embarrassed when his stomach rumbled loudly at the smell. Jason rose to his feet slowly, eyes locked with Vaas until he took a seat at the table and turned his attention to his meal. A heaping portion of over-cooked rice and a slightly charred boar thigh. Jason dove unashamedly into the food, not having realized the hunger that was suddenly gnawing at his insides.

"Get some sleep," Vaas said after watching Jason a few seconds. "You're going to need it."

"W- Wait, are-" Jason coughed around a grain of rice that was trying to hang around in the back of his throat rather than go on down. "My friends. Are they being fed too?"

Vaas rolled his eyes and huffed in impatience. "Yes, Jason, fuck. I already told you I got them taken care of."

Jason's eyes narrowed. "What exactly does that mean?"

"You know, you are really disappointing me, Snow White. You sound like every other fucking idiot right now. Your friends are fucking fiiiine, okay? They ate way before you did and they're sitting around talking about what a dick hole I am. Or sleeping. Whatever. Happy now? Any more dumb-ass questions to waste my time?"

Jason wasn't sure why he felt insulted. "No," he answered in a clipped tone, looking down into his rice.

"Okay then. Nighty-night." Vaas waved at him and heaved a sigh as he snatched the door open and left. Jason heard the lock slide into place and Vaas' muffled shouting fading as he walked away.

\----

Vaas returned the next day with a simple breakfast and a few maps. True to his word, he and Jason went over strategy for a nearby compound. When Vaas left a couple of hours later, Jason sat in stunned silence. Vaas had been... calm. At one point, Vaas had leaned over Jason's shoulder from behind, pointing out good hiding places on the overhead map and Jason hadn't even felt nervous. It wasn't until he felt Vaas' stubble scrape softly across his ear that he even realized how close they were.

Vaas' strategy was simple. They would approach the compound in stealth around sunset to best utilize the long shadows. Vaas had a megaphone he claimed to have salvaged, whatever that actually meant, which he would use to announce anyone loyal to him was to drop their weapons and keep their hands raised in clear surrender. The men would have no trouble recognizing Vaas' voice. Anyone that didn't immediately comply would be killed. Vaas would keep moving, hidden in a path he showed Jason, to avoid being found while Jason took out the dissenters. They would rendevous at the now useless alarm. Jason wondered aloud if the arrow was still lodged in it and Vaas had pinned him with a hard look. Jason grinned sheepishly in response and he could have sworn he saw the corner of Vaas' lip twitch in an almost smile.

When they finished plotting, Vaas left the maps behind for Jason to look over. By lunch time, Jason had pretty much memorized the layout of the small encampment and planned his desired route. After lunch, brought in by a silent lackey, he was forced to wait alone until dark.

He snapped awake from his light doze when his door was kicked open forcefully, frowning at Vaas' laughter. "And they say white boys can't jump," the dark skin man grinned, obviously finding himself quite amusing. When he saw Jason wasn't going to reply, he rolled his eyes and tossed a lump of tangled clothes at him. "Get changed. Your clothes fucking stink and if you're gonna be with me, you're not going looking like Mr. California."

Jason seperated the black cargo pants and red tank top with an even deeper frown. "Let me see my friends first," he demanded and before Vaas could protest, he plowed on. "Look, they were already acting like they didn't trust me. If I go in there looking like one of you, they're not gonna play along. I just want to get this over with and get them home. I'm not planning anything." 

Vaas studied him in silence for a few long moments. "Fine, fuck. You get five minutes. I'm not going to sit around waiting for them to finish crying on your shoulder." Vaas turned to an armed guard outside the door. "Take him over. Meet me outside in five. Shoot the blonde chick if they give you shit."

The guard, the same silent guy that had delievered lunch, nodded tersely. "Not very chatty, are you," Jason muttered, watching Vaas leave. As expected the guard said nothing, opting instead to prod Jason into moving down the hall. They passed a few doors, one of which had a bloodied smear near the bottom. Jason bit his lip in concern.

"Right here," the guard finally said, nodding to the last door. He banged on it with the butt of his gun before unlocking it and shoving Jason inside. He remained standing in the door way, his gun lifted and aimed at Daisy.

Jason's friends hesitated briefly before rushing him. Daisy was there first, soon joined by Oliver, who laughed freely as he squeezed the two of them tightly. They both moved away as Liza approached. A tense silence fell upon the group. Jason felt heavy with guilt and dropped his head. The two lovers had barely spoken since the whole ordeal with Citra and it didn't take a genius to figure out why.

"He said you were alive," Liza finally broke the silence, her voice thick from holding back tears. "We didn't believe him... We thought you were dead."

"I'm not. I'm fine." Swallowing his guilt, Jason looked up. "Is everyone okay?"

Liza moved back away from him and it was Daisy who answered. "Yeah. They're almost being... nice. We get fed, we all had a bath, got our clothes washed. We even have a private toilet." She gestured to a door against the right wall. "It's weird. What's going on? Where have you been?"

' _Not are you okay_ ,' Jason thought to himself sourly. He looked around at his friend's expectant looks and couldn't help but feel interrogated. "I'm locked up, same as you," he said with just a touch of defensiveness in his tone. "Vaas is using me to regain control of the island in exchange for your freedom over time."

Oliver's face lit up with cautious hope, while Liza turned away from him completely, though not before Jason caught sight of the look of disgust on her face. He had to clench his teeth to keep a snarl under control.

"You can't trust him," Daisy said, lowering her voice as if it would do anything to keep the guard from hearing. "What if he just marches you outside and shoots you? Jason, if something happens to you, we're all as good as dead."

"I'll be fine. He's got Riley somewhere and if I don't go along with him, he'll punish Riley. You know what he's capable of. I don't have a choice. He said he'd let you go, one at a time, as we regain control of the compounds."

"You're going to kill _more_ people," Liza asked, staring at him as if he had suddenly sprouted another head. "Even those native guys that helped you?"

"They weren't ever helping me. They were helping-" Jason cut off before he said Citra's name. "I was being used. It's complicated, okay? Just... yeah, I'm going to be killing more people. So _you_ can go home. Fuckin' sorry but its the only way."

"And was fucking that girl the only way too?!"

"What? I was _drugged_! I didn't even have a say!"

"Bullshit. You can't get it up when you're high."

Oliver pushed himself up from the cot he'd been sitting on and waved his hands over his head. "Whoa, whoa, time out, guys. We're trying to paddle up Shit Creek right now, don't fight in the canoe, alright?"

Liza just turned away again, crossing her arms definatly over her chest.

Daisy gave Jason a pleading look. "I'll talk to her, okay? Just do what you have to do."

"I don't have a choice," Jason repeated, his voice still sharp with anger. "Just keep your heads down and hope Vaas keeps his word." He could have sworn he heard Liza snort but any further comment was drowned out by the guard clearing his throat loudly.

"Time's up. Let's go, Brody."

Jason didn't wait around for any goodbyes. He was fuming silently as he was led back into his room to change. He snatched on his clothes and follwed the guard, not even thinking to pay attention to the path they took. A hand clapping down on his shoulder a bit too hard snapped him out of his brood.

"Ready," Vaas asked, grinning widely. 

And Jason realized that not only was he ready, he was looking forward to it. The tension building up to the rush of the kill, the way his heart would pound wildly when he almost got spotted, the spray of blood as he slid his knife through an unsuspecting throat. Jason returned Vaas smile. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fuckin' ready."


	2. Manipulation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason realizes just how tight Vaas' grip on him is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've changed Vaas' backstory a little bit... The wikia says he was born on the islands but that never made since to me since he's listed as Hispanic, speaks Spanish, and has a different last name from Citra. I also made Citra a little older than Vaas, instead of the other way around. So, Vaas 25, Citra 27. Oh, and just FYI, in my story, Vaas' eyes are brown (like Michael Mando's eyes, not the in-game Vaas' eyes). No particular reason, I just wanted to honor Mando's version of Vaas since he does it so, so well <3 And I doubt anyone cares but as for the Spanish (what little I pepper in here), I'm not translating because its really simple to just google it. Also, I don't speak Spanish at all so if I butcher the language completely, I'm very sorry! Feel free to correct me! If anyone out there is fluent in Mexican Spanish, I'd love if you'd let me use you as a personal translator XD Just sayin'.

'If you drink much from a bottle marked 'poison' it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.'  
_\- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll_  
\----

It was like stepping back in time. Jason stared through his camera, using the zoom feature to scout the small encampment from afar. It all still felt so familiar. Easy. He counted four outside, with one or two possibly inside the safehouse. All in Privateer colors, even the ones that looked distinctly Rakyat. Jason sneered a little to himself. ' _If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I guess. Seems to be the fucking theme of this island,_ he thought, as he slipped through a hole in the fence, and hid behind a small stack of cars.

Ahead of him, a tall, muscular Privateer was leaning against a chain-link fence, his chin dropped down on his chest. Jason was pretty sure he was sleeping. Further past him, two more sat on stacked tires that flanked the main driveway into the small camp. Both faced away from Jason, watching the road for any approaching vehicles. To their left and up a small hill was a second covered chain-link enclosure where the final guard sat at a table, busy with something Jason couldn't make out from a distance. Whatever it was, he'd been at it steadily the entire time Jason had scouted and didn't seem like he'd be moving any time soon.

As Jason ducked into place behind a white truck, a sharp screech from Vaas' megaphone made all the guards jump to their feet, weapons at the ready. 

"Guess who's back from the dead, fuckers?!!" Vaas voice echoed over the area, making it near impossible to tell where it was originating from.

Jason rolled his eyes, not sure why he thought Vaas would take this a little more seriously. The guards, however, froze in place, obviously quite affected. Taking a deep breath, Jason lifted his sniper rifle and lined the scope up to Mr. Sleepy's head, just in case. 

"Hoyt's dead, I'm not, and I'm takin' back what's fuckin' mine. Fight me and you're fucking dead. If you feel like making it to your next birthday, drop your guns away from you and get those hands up. You got ten seconds before bodies start dropping. Starting.... now!"

Jason watched through his scope as the three guards in front of him exchanged looks and a few hurried words. None dropped their weapons. Jason began counting down silently, moving the scope to check on the guard next to the safehouse. He came out into the open, holding his AK to his shoulder, ready to shoot.

"Idiot," Jason whispered on a sharp inhale as he held his breath. When he reached ten, he pulled the trigger. The man crumpled, his weapon clattering down the small hill a few feet away. He dropped the rifle, snatching out his knife and standing just long enough to throw it into the throat of Mr. Sleepy, who had turned his attention to his fallen comrade. The knife throw gave away his position and Jason ducked back behind the truck, laughing as bullets slammed into metal around him. He could feel his blood thrumming through his veins, feel the air moving through his lungs, feel _everything_. It was electric and Jason's smile only widened as he caught sight of a shadow moving towards him.

Picking up the rifle again, Jason moved so that he was crouching on one knee. When the guard stepped by the side of the truck, Jason stood, using his momentum and swung the butt of the rifle up into the man's chin. His head snapped back with a sickening crunch and blood sprayed wide. Jason felt- he fucking FELT the remaining guard move to his right and grabbed the AK out of what felt like thin air, snatching hard enough that he easily disarmed the other man. He was pretty sure he laughed as he tossed the gun aside or maybe he'd laughed when he grabbed the now-fleeing man from behind and twisted his head until he felt the spine give. No time to think. Only the safehouse left now. Jason wasn't even armed as he ran towards the red door and snatched it open.

Empty.

Jason felt let down as he plodded back to the broken alarm at the other end of the safehouse. Vaas was already making a beeline for him, laughing and holding the megaphone up in celebration. "Oh, Snow White, that was beautiful! Fucking-" He made the motion of throwing a knife. "Right through his throat. And you TOOK that asshole's gun! Just-" Again, he pantomimed Jason's actions. "Gimme that! That's style, hermano. You can't fucking teach style." He clapped Jason on the shoulder, beaming proudly.

Jason had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning at the sight of a giddy Vaas. "Are you fucking stupid," he shot back instead. "Everyone's dead. This was a waste of time." Jason wrung his hands, trying to get them to stop shaking. The adrenaline was still pumping wildly through his body, though now that he didn't need it, he just felt antsy.

"Nah." Vaas waved a hand dismissively. "I'll get summa my guys out here and we'll set up until tomorrow when we take out the camp north of here."

"These places are dinky. Why'd you even start here?"

Vaas grinned and leaned back against the safehouse, crossing his arms over his chest. "Questioning my methods, California Boy?"

"I just want to make sure you're not fucking with me. If you're serious about this deal we made, I'd rather just get it over with. I don't have the patience to make your mistakes for you."

Vaas rolled his eyes, looking like an impatient teenager. "North of here is the main shipping yard for Mahina Plantation. The few fucks that make a legit living out here, do it through there. Only way there is through here or the ocean. With these two bases, we got North Cradle under our control, which puts the islands' money under our control, which puts the people under our control. Follow me, White Boy? Bad Town runs on these fuckers little bit of cash. That puts us one step closer to controlling Bad Town and we didn't even have to lift a finger. Word gets out from there. And they will remember today and know we're not fucking around. Loosing a few idiots ain't gonna stop this train."

Vaas looked proud, satisfied, and even though he sounded impatient having to explain himself, Jason didn't feel the smallest amount of malice. Despite the fact that it was just him and Vaas alone and they were both relaxed. 

"Fine, you're a tactical genius. What now?"

"Mmm..." Vaas looked up at the sky, his mouth twisted to one side in a thoughtful expression. "Well, its getting late. Too late to make it home. I'll call in my guys and we'll set up here for tomorrow."

"... alright. And what about my friends? You said you'd let them go."

Vaas laughed, a small bit of his old cruelty dipping back into his voice. "Yeah, once we made some progress. One of two camps ain't worth those tight little asses. Tell you what. You put such a nice show for daddy, I'll do you a favor."

Jason's lip twisted into a sneer and he curled his hand into a fist at his side hard enough he could feel his pulse thumping through his palm. 

Vaas either didn't notice or wasn't concerned enough to pay his reaction any attention. "I'll let you talk to the little one for a few minutes. He's been making a big ol' fuss and my guards are getting annoyed. You calm his tits and everyone's happy."

At mention of Riley, all anger drained from Jason. "Yeah. Yeah, that's good. Thanks."

Vaas grinned and pushed himself up off the building. "Thank _you_ , Jase." He chuckled. "Fucking just took the gun right out his hands. Best show I've seen in a while." He shook his head and wandered off, lifting the sat phone he had at his hip once he was out of earshot. He didn't seem the least bit concerned with Jason attempting to escape.

"Got no reason to be," Jason muttered to himself, running a hand through his already messy hair. The promise of contacting Riley would keep him in place better than any jail. Jason would stay and he would behave. Vaas might have been out of his mind crazy but there was no denying he was a master at manipulation. With a sigh, Jason went inside the safe house and began cleaning his weapons, letting the monotonous act of disassembling and reassembling lull him into a feeling of complacency.

\----

Jason snatched awake, sitting up off the mattress he'd been dozing on, his gun trained on the door even before he could see clearly. Vaas only laughed.

"Jumpy?"

As Jason sat up, he realized he could hear the muffled talking of other pirates outside. Apparently Vaas had been working while he napped. Thumbing the safety back on, Jason rested the handgun on his thigh. "Fuck off. When can I talk to my brother?"

Vaas help up a sat phone. "Got him right here. Yo, Riley, say hello."

"J- Jason?"

At the sound of his brother's voice, Jason jumped to his feet and lunged for the phone but Vaas snatched it back. "Ah-ah-ah," he said, waggling a finger. "Its on speaker."

Jason frowned but didn't argue. "Riley, its me. Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Where are you?"

Vaas rolled his eyes but didn't interrupt.

"I'm fine," Riley answered. "But I don't know where I am. Its pretty quiet and the only people I've seen are pirates and they're not being all crazy. Its weird."

"Look, I know this sounds nuts but you gotta trust me, okay? I'm working with Vaas. Its gonna take some time but when its over you can all go home. Can you tough it out for me, buddy?"

"Yeah, I can handle it. .... Are you sure? He killed Grant."

"I know, I know..." Jason felt his chest clench at the mention of his older brother's name. "I don't have a choice right now. Just trust me. The others are safe, so are you. As long as that doesn't change, I'll play along. Listen to me. If someone hurts you, if shit goes bad, _run_. Just run as fast and far as you can. I'll find you. I promise."

Vaas mouthed 'awww' at him, then pointed a finger down his throat and pretended to gag. Jason flipped him the bird.

"Yeah, okay, Jason. Fuck, this blows."

Jason chuckled a little. "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up."

"Oooo-kay," Vaas butted in, "family chat time is coming to a close. Jason and I got shit to do, little man."

Jason could practically feel his little brother gearing up to go off on the other end of the phone. "He's right, Riley. Stay safe, okay? I'll get you home."

"Alright, Jason. I- uh, yeah, bye. I love you."

Jason blinked. He was pretty sure that was the first time his brother had ever said he loved him out loud. "Yeah, man, I love you too."

Vaas pressed a button and slid the phone down into a pocket of his cargo pants. "Jesus _fuck_ you are the sappiest white boys I've ever met," he groaned, sneering a bit in disgust.

"Oh, fuck off. Just because your family is fucked."

"Hey, nuh-uh. I used to love my sister, thank you very much. When my parents were sold off, she took me in, adopted me sorta. Been on this fucking island since I was seven years old."

"Wait, so you're not really related?"

Vaas shrugged. "Guess not. And why do you fucking care?"

"You brought it up."

Vaas rolled his eyes. "C'mon, everyone else is working and you're just lazing in here like some kinda princess. Hoyt's nickname went to your head."

Jason knew Vaas was poking at his temper to change the subject. He didn't take the bait but also didn't press the matter any harder. "Fine, what do I need to do?"

"Nothing, actually. I just want you out there, hanging around, being part of the group, you understand? The men gotta feel united and that's not gonna happen unless they think they can trust you. You ain't gotta be Mr. Popular but you can't hide away all the time or they're gonna keep thinking you're waiting for the right time to put a bullet in their heads."

Jason smirked a little. He liked the thought of being such an intimidating and meaningful part of this rag-tag bunch. Important and just a little feared... Yeah, he could definitely get used to _that_.

Outside, the pirates had already finished and were sitting around a campfire laughing and eating. Vaas waved him in the direction of the food, which Jason gratefully took the chance to enjoy. He sat outside of the main circle, but close enough he could hear and see them, half hoping to get some clue about his brother's holding place. Despite his careful listening, all he heard was playful cajoling and half-hearted complaints about rashes or girls. A couple of the guys across the fire from Jason stood up and one shoved the other playfully. They continued like that for a bit until one tripped, landing face-first in the picked over remains of their hunt. The pirates howled in laughter and even Jason had to grin widely.

As the fallen pirate got to his feet, wiping uselessly at his face, next to him, Vaas stood slowly. "You got that shit all over me," he growled, and the camp went silent. The pirate leader pulled his tank top over his head, breaking suddenly into a playful grin as he twisted it up and snapped it sharply at the man beside him. It seemed the entire camp released the breath they'd all been holding and smiles broke out once again. Even Jason laughed out loud as Vaas began chasing the man around the camp, his tank top snapping repeatedly at his dramatically screeching and flailing quarry.

\----

The next morning, Jason was shook roughly awake. He groaned incoherently, glaring up at Vaas. The shorter man was crouched next to him, grinning like the cat that had just finished eating the canary.

"You always this grumpy, princess," Vaas teased, ruffling Jason's hair quickly and jerking back to avoid being punched. "Come on, whole day's wasting."

Jason squinted down at his wristwatch and frowned deeply. "The whole day? Its only fucking 9!"

"Oh, what, you want your blankie and a warm glass of milk so you can go back nap-nap?" Vaas stood and kicked Jason's leg just hard enough to make him wince. "Get the fuck up."

"Look, I agreed to help get the camps back, not play pirate all day. This is bullshit." Jason's back cracked as he stood and he almost moaned. It had been a while since he'd slept so well.

"Call it the fine print, hermano. This _is_ part of getting the camps back. Need money for supplies. Boys are bringing in a shipment right here and we gotta get it moved inside and packaged for delivery."

"For some reason, I don't think you're talking about bananas."

"Plantaiiiiins, pendejo. But, no. The regular workers will be here to handle that shit. No, this is premium, uncut _cocaina_. I need some extra cash right now so..." He trailed off with a shrug. "You ever package drugs before?" 

Jason simply gave him a deadpan stare.

"Of course not. Joint's probably the hardest thing you've ever been in contact with. Okay, its simple. Shit's ready, you just weigh it out, bag it, and seal it. We don't brick our cocaine. I sell that shit pure." Vaas held up his head up in pride. "Here." He pulled a cloth face mask from his pocket and tossed it to Jason. "Wear that. No snorting, no tasting. You get high off my shit while you're working and I'll beat the stupid out of you. And that watch comes off."

Jason couldn't believe what he was hearing. "No. No, Vaas, I'm not helping you sell drugs you twisted mother fucker. No fucking way."

Vaas spread his hands. "Why not? What, little bit of coke is somehow worse than the bodycount you've racked up in just a few months?"

"That was different. That was survival. That-"

"Eh, now you're just making excuses Jason. No one forced you to pull that trigger over and over and over." Vaas mimed shooting Jason in the head with a click of his tongue for added effect. "You did it all on your own. You hunted men down like animals. Don't make pussy excuses."

"I -- Fuck." Jason's fists curled and he ground his teeth in annoyance. He wasn't a murderer! He did what he had to do, what anyone else would do. He'd been telling himself all along; the killing was necessary. 

( _And fun_.)

"No! Fuck, no! I didn't have a choice!"

Vaas snorted. "Sure, keeping telling yourself that, hermano. Well, just look at it like this. You don't have a choice here either. You do what I say or I'll let you listen while my boys get a good look at your brothers creamy white skin."

Jason literally snarled up at Vaas. "You're a horrible fucking person."

The pirate leader clutched his shirt over his heart. "You wound me, Jason," he replied, sarcasm all but dripping from his lips. "Now enough fucking chit-chat. _¡Vámonos ya, coño!_ "

Muttering quiet curses and death threats, Jason begrudgingly let Vaas drive them back to the island compound where he was put to work as promised. It was mindless work, really, and after just a few times, Jason was working on auto-pilot, barely even thinking his actions. At first, the room was silent. Jason and three other men were seated around a large square table while two other men worked on bringing the cocaine to and from the table. After a few minutes of steady work, two of the men started a quiet conversation that quickly spread around the table. Jason just tried to ignore it. He didn't want to be here and he didn't want to make buddies.

"You gotta quit going to the cheap ones in Bad Town, Marco. Those girls get you sick with something different every fucking time!"

"That's just it. He ain't seeing girls. Its just one. He's in loooove."

All of the men, save for the one that was apparently Marco, laughed.

"Man, fuck alla you guys. Candy's a good girl. She treats me right."

"She'd treat me right too if I wanted to come back with crabs."

Marco punched the man beside him hard in the arm. "Fuck you. Like none of you dickheads never got something." There was a long pause and then Marco nodded to Jason. "What about you," he asked when they made eye contact. "You ever pay for some puss in Bad Town."

"No," Jason replied as blankly as he could, really wanting to avoid getting sucked into this conversation. 

"Wait, wait, wait." The guy that was on the receiving end of Marco's punch broke in, chuckling. "You telling me that you've been here this whole time and you ain't got laid once? What are you doing, raping monkeys out there in the jungle?"

Jason shot a glare that wiped the smile off the other man's face instantly. 

"Sorry. I'm just sayin', its not good to without some pussy for too long."

"Mike, leave him alone before you get hurt," one of the men standing said as he dropped a container of coke on the table between two of them. "What he does with monkeys is none of your business. Besides, maybe he don't like pussy."

"Pfft, you just want everyone else to be a little homo like you," Mike shot back, though there was no venom in his words. "I saw those pretty little ladies he was here with. He's gotta be tappin' at least one of 'em." Mike leaned over closer to Jason, his eyebrows raising. "It's the blonde, ain't it?"

"Fuck. Off." Jason snarled, his knuckles cracking as he balled his hands into tight fists. 

Mike held his hands up defensively and moved away. "Okay, okay, I get the message, bro. Leave the chicks out of it. Still. You should get some kinda relief. Help you relax."

The door to Jason's left burst open and Vaas stood in the doorway, hands on his hips and a vicious smile on his lips. "No need to worry about white boy here," he said, the snarl evident in his voice as he walked into the room and stood behind Jason. He placed his hands on Jason's shoulders and leaned down close to him. "My sister got him plenty relaxed, didn't she?"

Already tense and angry, Jason felt his control snap. He jumped to his feet and shoved Vaas away from him roughly. "Fuck you! Your sister is fucking twisted piece of shit, just like you! I didn't enjoy that disgusting cunt so you can stop fucking bringing it up every five fucking seconds!"

Vaas' only response was a hearty laugh and Jason saw red.

Literally saw red. His vision was a blanket of crimson and he heard a bellow of rage that he would later realize came from him. He swung hard at Vaas, connecting solidly with his face. The other men jumped to action immediately, grabbing Jason and dragging him back. Jason's vision and mind cleared and he his anger was instantly replaced by regret.

Meeting Vaas' eyes, he was shocked to see the pirate king still smiling. His tongue slipped out, licking at the blood from the fresh cut on his bottom lip. "Looks like this bebé needs a nap, boys," he said, his voice eerily calm. The men holding Jason didn't have to be told twice. They snatched him out of the room, and walked him to his room, a knife to his throat to ensure this good behavior. They didn't have to worry. The fight had bled out of Jason completely. He didn't even resist when they shoved him through the doorway, slamming him into the table in the middle of the room. Jason didn't move until he heard the lock slide into place. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally. He had no idea what time it was, but he'd been sitting in that room until his ass and back hurt. That last rush of rage and adrenaline had bled him dry. He pushed himself off the rickety table and shuffled over to the small pallet on the floor, flopping heavily onto it and falling almost immediately to sleep.

\----

When he awoke, it was dark in his cell and Jason assumed it was the middle of the night. He didn't have a window. Beyond the table and chair, his pallet, and a metal bucket in one corner to piss in, the small room was just concrete walls. Jason pushed himself to his feet and began pacing. When that lost its appeal, he dropped to the floor and began doing push-ups. 

He'd never done well alone. With nothing to divert his attention, everything seemed so... empty. He tried thinking about ways to escape, a way to apologize to Vaas, anything, but his thoughts seemed to flit away, replaced by the deafening sound of silence. Counting his push ups helped for a while until the sound of his own voice just reminded him he was alone.

Growling, Jason stood and resumed pacing. A few hours later, he began screaming for Vaas, banging on the door. He knew the guards were out there, that they could hear him. They had to be. When his tantrum got no response, Jason grabbed the rickety chair and slammed it as hard as he could against the door. It broke into pieces but there was no sound from outside his room. No one yelled for him to shut up, to stop being a dick, nothing. Not even a cough. The only sound in the room was his own rapid breathing.

"Fuck." Jason returned to his pallet, feeling defeated and antsy. 

Hours ticked by between moments of sleep without any sounds other than the ones he made. Only the way Jason's stomach growled insistantly let him know that he'd been in the room for at least a day. Maybe longer.

Vaas wouldn't forget him.

....

Would he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone think they can guess where Jason and Vaas are? I based it 100% from the game and even took pics with my phone so I would get the details correct while I was writing XD Oh, and if I got any details wrong about the whole cocaine thing, sorry but I'm not a drug dealer ^^; My google search is starting to look really suspicious though... >.> Also, I'm sooo sorry this took so long! I got married and then my wife got into a car accident (everyone's fine) so life really got crazy for a while. Please keep the comments and love coming! All the feedback really kept me going!


	3. Rage & Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stress of Jason's situation explodes and an impromptu hunt turns into something he would never have expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit guys I am sorry this took so long! If it hadn't been for the wonderful comments and kudos, I probably would have totally abandoned this so thank you for keeping me going <3 Finally gonna earn that rating though so hopefully the naughtiness will make up for the wait.

’I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then.’  
_\- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll_  
\----

_Wide, damp leaves slapped at Jason's face as he crashed wildly through the jungle. Trees seemed to spring up out of nowhere and the ground was a mess of vines and tangled grasses doing its best to snatch his feet out from under him. His lungs burned with effort and no matter how hard he pushed himself, he just couldn't seem to run fast enough. He was being chased. Something dangerous. A bear- no, it was too fast to be a bear. A tiger. Dangerous, quick, and deadly. It had to be a tiger. And Jason was unarmed. He patted his pockets briefly, desperately, hoping against hope that he had a handgun or grenade tucked away. No such luck. No syringes, nothing. He was unarmed and completely vulnerable._

 __’Shit...’ __

_Jason ducked, just narrowly missing a thick tree branch that threatened to take off his head. He wanted to glance behind himself but couldn’t risk it. He could hear the animal behind him, crashing easily through the jungle, breath huffing eagerly from the thrill of the hunt. After so long hunting, killing, consuming, Jason was going to learn what it was like to lose. There was a roar from behind him and a heavy weight crashed into Jason’s shoulders. Time seemed to slow as he fell and Jason watched, helpless and horrified as the verdant floor slowly got closer and closer, crashing painfully into his face. The weight on his back forced all the air out of his lungs. Jason tried to scream, and though his mouth opened, no sound came out. Hot air puffed against his neck and Jason squeezed his eyes shut, prepared to feel fangs sink into his throat._

_“Yo.”_

_Jason blinked. Did the tiger just speak? Even for a dream, this was too fucking weird to accept outright._

_“Yo.” The tiger laid heavy paw on his shoulder, pawing at him roughly but without claws._

_Fucking weird or not, it was a chance to get away. Even in his dreams, the instinct to live was impossible to ignore. Jason tried to struggle to his feet, swatting at the tiger’s paw as best he could from his prone position._

“Wake the fuck UP, you lazy puto piece of SHIT!”

Jason’s eyes snatched open and he sucked in a deep breath. The jungle floor was gone, replaced instead by the stained mattress he’d been sleeping on. A quick, panicked glance over his shoulder revealed Vaas next to him, squatting casually with his usual cruel grin tugging at his lips. Jason scrambled into a sitting position, putting his back to the corner and pulling his knees up protectively, adrenaline and fear from the dream lingering. His heart was racing. He wiped at the sweat on his forehead. Sweat that had nothing to do with heat.

“Jumpy,” Vaas asked, amusement clear in his voice as he bounced his eyebrows a few times.

“Fuck you,” Jason shot back, his voice cracking. He was parched. 

“Oh. Okay, then.” Vaas shrugged and stood up, turning to walk away.

Jason felt panic rise in him again. He hadn’t seen another human being in over a week, save for the flash of a hand that shoved in just enough food once a day to keep his stomach quiet. The empty trays were still piled on the table in the middle of the room. If it weren’t for them, he’d have lost count of the days. It had been 9 days, according to the food. With no window, Jason had lost track of night and day. The bucket provided in the far corner was close enough to overflowing that he’d went to sleep without relieving himself, a decision he was regretting now as his bladder was painfully full. Worst of all, he’d been totally alone with his doubts and fears. Worries about his younger brother, his friends. Guilt over Grant’s death and the deal he’d struck with his killer to save them all. The deal he’d fucked, possibly killing them all. They ate at him, picking at his skin and his sanity in the silence of those blank walls. Jason didn’t want to be left alone again. Seeing someone, _anyone_ felt like the biggest relief he’d ever experienced and he was desperate to get out of that room or, at the very least, have some company, a voice other than his own to silence the ones in his head.

Jason clambered up onto his knees, actually reaching out and grabbing Vaas’ wrist. Not the smartest thing he’d ever done, he would come to realize later. “No! Please. Don’t go. Not yet.” A small part of him hated how desperate he sounded but it was easy to ignore with everything else in him howling warnings that if that door closed again, it might never open. He’d be trapped with himself forever.

Vaas stopped and turned back towards him. The grin that had been pulling at his lips faded and he shook his head a little. "You don't do well alone, do you, hermano?" He stepped forward and patted the top of Jason’s hand in what could almost be mistaken as a comforting gesture. "Me either. Look, I actually came here to say sorry. You know, make nice.”

As Vaas squatted down in front of him, Jason was all but sure he was still dreaming. He’d expected a snide comment, a kick to the face, to be spit on and made fun of. Certainly not an apology. Wary, Jason leaned back a little, studying the pirate’s face closely. The other man was slightly sweaty and a little dirty, nothing out of the usual. Jason did notice Vaas’ eyes were a little more reddened than usual. He’d likely gotten high recently. According to his men, he would be in the best mood then. Jason relaxed a little.

“Don’t stare at me like that,” Vaas said and laughed. “I don’t say sorry often, hermano, but it _has_ happened before. At some point. Maybe. Anyway, look.” He waved a hand impatiently, words plowing on ahead. “That shit about my sister. I gotta stop letting her get to me like that. Like, _FUCK/i >, we haven’t even been in the same room in over a year and just getting one little piece of fucking news about her and I fucking flip. Took it out on you. And some other guys after you, too. Maybe a wall or three. So, yeah, sorry and all that shit, let’s get you outta this room and forget it ever happened, hm?”_

Vaas words came rapid-fire and Jason, having just woken up with a full bladder and an empty stomach, had to squint in an effort to really focus on what the mohawked man was babbling at him. “What, uh, what was the news? About Citra.”

Vaas’ brown eyes narrowed and silence stretched between them long enough Jason was sure he’d just earned himself another week alone in that room. But Vaas spoke, words quick and clipped like he just wanted to get over with as quick as possible. “That stupid fuck, Denny or whoever, apparently doesn’t know that to kill a demon you gotta-” He broke off and made a sawing motion over his own throat. “Cut off the head. She’s gonna make it. Oh, and she’s already swearing vengeance on you, so there’s that.”

With a groan, Jason flopped back onto his pallet. “Great.”

Vaas all but roared with laughter. “Mira, mira... _Fuuuuck_ her. Fucking forget her. I got plans today. My boys took back Cradle View and fucking got that tower back in order so I gave them the day off to celebrate. Buuut leaving you here while they get drunk and rowdy probably isn’t the best idea seeing as how most of them don’t trust you any further than they can spit. So we’re gonna have a... fucking, what is it you Cali-ass white people call it? A fucking trust exercise! We’re gonna go for a fucking hunt together, you an’ me.”

“Alone?”

“Yep.”

Jason pushed himself back into sitting position, studying Vaas closely. “And I get a weapon?”

Vaas laughed. “Don’t sound so hopeful, Jason, or you’re gonna make me suspicious. Of course you get a weapon. It’s not gonna be _loaded_ but we’re the only ones that need to know that.”

Jason frowned. A hunt had sounded pretty damn wonderful. A chance to get out in the wild, rely on his instincts, sweat and adrenaline fueling his bloodlust until he brought down his prey and could feel that rush of victory. “So I’m just tagging along.”

“Aww.” Vaas looked at him with an exaggerated pout. “Now you’re making me feel bad, princess. You wanna tear some shit up too, huh? Fine, you can have a knife. Let me see how much I can really trust you.”

“You’ve got my brother,” Jason reminded him sourly.

Vaas simply shrugged in response, the accusation having no affect at all on him. “So it's settled.” Bracing his hands on his knees, Vaas pushed himself to his feet and shouted a name over his shoulder, followed by a short string of Spanish Jason had no hope of understanding. Two men came into the room, one Jason recognized from his day packing drugs. One began gathering trays and the other had the unfortunate job of removing his ‘toilet’. Vaas made a face as the pirate walked carefully by him and out the door. “Maybe, uh, this goes well, maybe we see about upgrading your room, eh?” He gestured to the bucket and waved a hand in front of his nose.

Jason tried not to look hopeful. The idea of having an actual toilet seemed akin to a night in a five star suite. Almost immediately he felt selfish and guilty. “How about instead you upgrade my friends?”

Vaas looked thoughtful for a few moments. “Tell you what. You bring down something with that knife and I’ll do both. Show me how much jungle you got in you, white boy.” The pirate leader’s lips curled up in a cruel smile.

Jason stood, refusing to stay seated in the face of an insult. He stepped closer, leaving only a few inches between them, not quite a challenge but not an empty gesture either. “Deal.”

“Just make sure you don’t bring that along with you,” Vaas added, nodding downwards.

Jason glanced down and immediately his cheeks flared bright red. He was rock hard with the need to piss, tenting his pants in a very obvious way. He folded his arms over himself and did his best to avoid eye contact as his bucket was returned. He managed to wait until he was alone before making a mad dash to the corner.

It was the best piss he’d ever taken.

\----

A few hours later, Jason had eaten until he felt heavy with fullness, been granted a brief visit with his friends and even a quick shower (if you counted standing under water and rubbing at yourself to be rid of week old sweat a shower). He felt better, elated even, and he was actually looking forward to his outing very much. He’d been given the standard priate uniform, a tank and cargo pants but he’d insisted on keeping his sneakers over the boots he was offered. A few of the pirates teased him lightly for it and, remembering Vaas’ words about them not trusting him, he’d laughed and taken it in stride. He strapped the holster Vaas had given him to his belt, sliding the knife in and out a few times to get more accustomed to the movement. It was different than where he usually kept his knife but he could adjust easily enough.

Vaas came clomping loudly down the stairs and said something that made the men close enough to hear him cheer and laugh. Jason was relieved to see his good mood from earlier had persisted. The last thing he’d wanted was the be alone in the jungle at dusk with a pissy Vaas and no firearm. The pirate leader approached him with a grin, clapping his hand onto Jason’s shoulder hard enough to rock him a little. Jason frowned but let it slide, especially since Vaas was pulling an AK from off his shoulder and passing it openly to Jason. The men had quieted slightly and Jason could feel the way they watched. With a nod, Jason shrugged it casually over his shoulder by the strap and asked, “Ready?”

Vaas’ expression warmed ever so slightly, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Fucking right I’m ready, white boy.”

There were a few scattered chuckles and the tension in the room seemed to bleed out quickly. Somewhere, loud music began to thump from speakers and the large double doors of the main entrance opened. Women (and a few men, Jason noticed with mild surprise) poured in, already laughing and holding up bottles of liquor, urging the pirates to join them. It was a completely unnecessary request as they were set on instantly. 

One of the women, dark skinned and dressed in the smallest white bikini Jason had ever seen approached Vaas, smile wide and seductive. “It's not like you to be shy,” she teased, pressing close to his side. The way her breasts pressed against his arm exposed one dusky pink nipple and Jason glanced away, feeling a bit shy. 

Vaas smiled but shrugged her away. “Sorry, Clara, but I got some business tonight.” He threw an arm around Jason’s shoulder as if they were life-long friends.

Unphased, Clara turned her pretty smile to Jason and in a teasing voice declared him to be lucky. “You boys get bored, just give a shout,” she added, trailing a finger down the middle of both their chests. “I’d love to find out if I can handle two at a time.” Without waiting for an answer, she sauntered off, the sway of her hips catching many appreciative looks.

Beside him, Vaas snorted lightly. “She knows she can handle two. More like six last time I heard.” He glanced at Jason and laughed. “Ha, look at you blushing! Oh, this is too good. C’mon, let's get you outta here before you need another shower.”

Jason grumbled a response that wasn’t quite actual words and allowed Vaas to lead him outside. He was certainly no virgin but the working women on the island were totally uninhibited and it continued to take Jason by surprise no matter how many times he was faced with it. 

Outside, Vaas’ arm disappeared from his shoulder and he motioned to a Jeep ahead of them. They didn’t speak as Vaas drove and once they’d crossed the bridge to the main island, Vaas ignored the roads completely, crashing wildly through the jungle with careless abandon, not seeming to have any specific target in mind. He brought the car to a sudden stop and declared, “We’re here.”

“Uh, where is here,” Jason asked, glancing around. All he could see was a thick line of trees a few hundred feet away, the land mostly flat with tall grass and water babbling softly somewhere nearby. No roads, no other signs of people.

Vaas shrugged and hopped out of the Jeep. “Dunno. Just felt right.” He slung his gun around, giving a quick once-over and checking that it was loaded. Jason began to do the same when he remembered his gun was empty. 

“Habit,” he said in response to Vaas’ smirk.. He was pleasantly surprised when Vaas let the matter drop, motioning wordlessly for Jason to follow. It was nice, every now and then, not to be teased relentlessly.

They stalked in relative silence through the trees. Both men hunkered low to the ground, alert and tense, listening as much as looking for any signs of animals. Jason’s sense of time drifted away from him as he focused on finding little signs of life. He had no idea how long they’d been at it when Vaas finally clicked his tongue and jerked his chin towards the bottom of a tree. Jason recognized the tusk scrapings. Boars. He couldn’t stop his eyes from rolling. _Boars_ of all things and here he was with no gun. Being gored was something he’d always planned on avoiding. He swallowed and steeled himself as best he could. His friends needed more than a windowless, cramped room and he supposed taking a tusk or two while he tried to kill a boar with a knife wasn’t too high of a price to pay. At least it wasn’t a fucking cassowary.

Having apparently found some sort of trail, Vaas began stalking with purpose, pausing now and then to listen. He held a hand up, fist clenched and Jason recognized the gesture easily enough. He froze, straining to hear. The sun had more than half slipped behind the horizon and under the cover of the thick trees, sight was probably his least helpful sense at the moment. A soft rustle and then nothing. Jason couldn’t pinpoint where it had come from and by the way Vaas continued to scan over the ground slowly, neither could he. It came again and both men’s head whipped to their left. Thick underbrush but nothing visible. It was possible it was just a bird or snake, hiding and waiting for them to go away. Just as likely that it was a boar waiting to charge. Jason met Vaas’ eyes for a brief, meaningful moment and slipped his knife free of its holster. Vas nodded once to show he understood and waited where he was as Jason quietly slipped towards the sound.

The leopard had lunged on his chest before Jason even recognized it’s screechy snarl. He cried out as the cat’s massive claws dug into his chest, hanging on as they went down together. It was all instinct after that: the way he wedged an arm under the animal’s chin to keep its mouth away and expose its throat, the rapid-fire shove of the knife, in and out, ignoring the spray of blood even as it blinded him, shoving the weight of the animal off so he could get back to his feet, standing but crouched low, knife gripped tight and ready for more. He was effectively deaf, hearing nothing over the sound of blood rushing in his ears until a slow, steady clap cut through and snapped him back in the moment. He whirled around, following the sound and was met with the sight of Vas standing wide legged, grinning and clapping slowly.

“Good job, princess!”

Jason snarled, an animalistic sound of rage that he barely recognized as his own. He wasn’t in control of his own body, a slave to a combination of pain, fear, relief and anger, and Vaas’ light-hearted teasing caused a rage to swell in him that completely overrode his focus on saving his friends. He slashed the knife through the air, not trying to inflict damage but slinging the animal’s blood off the blade and into Vaas’ face, an insulting gesture born of frustration. “STOP CALLING ME THAT,” he bellowed, his demand accented by the crash and cries of fleeing birds that his sudden shout had disturbed. Everything began to blur after that. He didn’t remember closing the distance between them, didn’t remember grabbing handfuls of Vaas’ tank and snatching them so close it strained his eyes to keep glaring at the other man. He’d opened his mouth to yell more, to demand an ounce of respect, to give some of the verbal abuse right back, maybe to just scream until he couldn’t scream anymore but no sound ever made it past his lips. 

It was the pirate’s reaction to his attack that made Jason pause. Vaas was meeting his rage with a calm, almost pleased look. He was even smiling. He watched, oddly entranced, as the tip of Vaas’ tongue peeked between his lips, stretching out to lap at the blood dripping towards to corner of his mouth. Jason continued to stare, body hot and trembling, as the blood smeared across Vaas’ bottom lip and his tongue disappeared back into his mouth. So fucking cocky and absolutely unimpressed by Jason’s anger. It made the last hold Jason had on his self-restraint snap. He reared back and lunged hard as he could forward, taking Vaas to the ground. He would realize later that it should not have been that easy and that Vaas had allowed himself to be tackled. Jason scrambled, trying to make sense of what felt like a tangle of arms as Jason tried to push himself back up and Vaas- fuck, Vaas was pulling him down, had one hand fisted in his hair at the back of his skull, his other hand on the back of Jason’s neck and Jason could see the muscles in the pirate’s arm bulge and flex. Jason immediatly assumed he was going for a headbutt and squeezed his eyes shut tightly, trying to ready himself for the impact, for the crack of a skull against his own and the flair of pain that would follow.

The impact that followed was all wrong. A mouth pressed hard to his own, the feel of teeth behind lips, a soft, damp push against his own lips. Kissing. Vaas had snatched him down into a fucking _kiss_. Jason froze, his brain refusing to process this turn of events. The urge to fight drained out of him in rush, leaving him empty and lost.

Vaas took full advantage of his shock and rolled them, putting himself on top. The kiss deepened, Vaas was licking inside his mouth, paused to nip at Jason’s bottom lip, and Jason finally began to struggle as his mind caught up and demanded that he put a stop to this. Right. Fucking. Now. There was no way in hell he was going to lay there and let Vaas do this. After everything he’d done. The torture, the pain. No. It had to stop. And Jason could end it all right there, he could stab the pirate lord with his own fucing knife, take his gun, make it back to the compound. This was his chance.

His hand clenched around -- nothing. His knife was gone and Vaas’ tongue was in his mouth and fuck, he was kissing back, shoving at Vaas’ tongue with his own, wanting to stop _being_ kissed and take it over. It was all so fast, a whirlwind from one desire to another... hunt, kill, lust. His senses were flooded with Vaas and where seconds ago he’d been plotting death and freedom, now all he could focus on was the body of the man on top of him. The press of the other man’s weight, the scrape of his stubble. And there was the kiss. Jason could taste the leopard blood, the sweat on Vaas’ skin, the faint hint of cigar smoke - he was tasting _Vaas_ and though he didn’t understand why that realization made his cock flare to life in his pants, it certainly didn’t stop it from happening. Jason might have felt shame had he not been keenly aware of the hardness pressing into his thigh and the way Vaas rolled his hips to rub against him. Jason reached up and grabbed Vaas’ mohawk, dragging their lips apart. He needed to breathe, needed to think. Needed.... 

They stared at one another, panting, muscles tight and ready. Jason pulled harder, wanting Vaas further away but the painful pressure just made Vaas groan deeply in his throat, a sound Jason felt as much as he heard, and Jason realized suddenly that what he needed was _more_. He felt a wave of dizziness at the rush of blood to his cock. Christ, he already throbbing and he didn’t even have the sense to feel ashamed when he spread his legs wider, allowing Vaas to settle between them.

Unlike Jason, the pirate didn’t fight his own urges in the least. He lunged for Jason’s lips again, the kiss demanding and bordering on violent. Jason gasped air whenever he could, clinging to Vaas’ back as they started to rut against one another roughly. It hurt just as much as it felt good and Jason felt like he was drowning in both Vaas’ lips and his presence. 

Jason gasped, hearing his own voice as if it didn’t even come from himself. His mind was spinning. His body was humming. He needed... “More.” 

Vaas’ hips lifted and Jason’s arms tightened, frightened for a moment that this was going to end, until he felt Vaas snatching impatiently at his cargo pants. Jason held his breath until he felt Vaas’ hand wrap around his cock. He could have sworn his vision went totally white for a brief moment and he dropped his head back down. If he watched, he would cum embarrassingly quick. He gave a choked moaned as Vaas yanked him out of the open zipper. It scraped, hurt, and Jason rocked his hips up, chasing the sensation. Vaas chuckled and Jason opened his eyes to see the pirate hovering over him, weight supported on one arm, just watching with that self-satisfied grin. Jason’s chest tightened with anxiety over the possibility that Vaas was going to speak, some quip or insult. It would ruin everything, break the desperate need that was driving him to such abandon. Jason didn’t want it to end. 

But Vaas remained strangely silent, even as he reached down to pull his own erection free. Jason glanced down. He couldn’t help it. He was longer than Vaas by a good couple of inches but Vaas was thick and meaty and his cock drooped heavily out of his pants, the tip leaking precum. Their cocks bumped and Jason found his lungs suddenly empty once more. He made a quiet, strangled sound when Vaas grabbed them both in one hand. Jason could barely be still and yet Vaas didn’t move, just stared back, watching Jason flounder under the confusion of his own desire.

Jason was momentarily torn. Vaas had stopped, had given him a second to _breathe_ , to think. He was trying to think, trying to ignore how impossibly hot Vaas’ cock felt against his own, the soft throb and shift as Vaas’ flesh pulsed in response. The hand that held them pressed together, firmly but not tight enough. It needed to be more, needed to move. Jason was sweating just from the effort of being still. He wanted this and there was no denying it now. Jason rocked his hips and the slide of their flesh made his eyes roll back in his head, a slow groan creeping past his lips.

“Thaaaat’s it, Jason,” Vaas breathed, his voice a low growl. “Give in...”

That was all the warning he got. Vaas was suddenly thrusting rapidly and Jason was moving in time, grabbing at the muscles of Vaas’ back to feel them shift under his palm. He was rutting like an animal, in the jungle floor, a dirty whore and fucking loving it. His breath felt like it was being torn from him, desperate sounding moans more often than not. He knew was being noisy and he couldn’t stop it. He was trembling, his body electric and tight, _tighter_ and FUCK it was too soon but he was powerless to stop it.

Jason threw his head back against the ground, crying out as he came in what felt like a massive burst. He jerked a little when his own cum hit his cheek, each spurt after a bit lower until it was just a tiny dribble and he went limp. It felt like it lasted hours instead of seconds and when it finally started to subside, it left him drained and satisfied. Above him, he heard Vaas whisper, “Fuck, Jason,” followed by a series of soft grunts. Jason moaned weakly and rolled his head to one side when he felt Vaas’ cum landing in places across his stomach and dribbling down his own rapidly softening cock. A tiny part of him noticed that Vaas had actually used his name, twice even, and he was smiling as his head lolled lazily, basking in the afterglow. Vaas detangled himself and Jason felt him flop heavily nearby.

Silence, save for the sound of their heavy breathing slowly returning to normal stretched between them. Vaas was the first to break it, looking over to Jason with a grin. “I know I’m a sexy beast,” he said, tone soft in a way that Jason had never heard and almost didn’t recognize as belonging to the pirate lord at all, “but you look fucking _blissed_.”

Jason laughed, throwing an arm over his eyes. His cheeks reddened and he couldn’t bring himself to reply. The shame was starting to set in as the warmth from his post-orgasmal state wore off. This... This was not what he’d expected. This was not part of the plan. He was supposed to be off murdering innocent people to save his friends, not fucking the very man that had imprisoned them in the first place. It was backwards. Wrong. 

He heard a quiet rustle of cloth and the sharp buzz of a zipper as Vaas returned himself to his pants. Good idea. Jason followed suit, adamantly refusing to look at the other man, too shamed to even lift his eyes much higher than shoulder level. Jason discovered his tank was damp and sticky with cum. He stared at the small pool of milky liquid, baffled at how he’d felt each one so acutely even through the fabric. After a slight internal debate, he yanked it off and threw it aside. Vaas chuckled and Jason shot him a glare angry enough that Vaas simply lifted his hands in quiet surrender.

Both men got to their feet and Vaas bent to gather his gun, then walked a few feet away and bent to retrieve the knife he’d loaned Jason. 

“That’s where that went,” Jason muttered, mostly talking to himself.

Vaas raised and eyebrow at him as he slung his gun over his shoulder by the strap. “You threw it before you tackled me. I’da fuckin’ blew you away if you hadn’t.”

“Oh.” Things were starting to make sense, at least the parts Jason couldn’t remember clearly past his own hyped emotion. 

Vaas jerked his chin in the direction of the dead leopard lying a few feet away from them. “Skin’s yours. Your kill.” He glanced down at the knife before flipping it expertly in his hands and tucking it away. Apparently Jason would not be getting it back any time soon. “Les’go. Got some moving to do, yeah?”

Jason felt sick with shame. He left the leopard, wanting nothing to do with it or what it had made him do and followed Vaas in silence back to the Jeep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn’t obvious, this isn’t a love story as much as it is a violence and lust and maybe a little Stockholm Syndrome story. There’ll be no meaningful declarations of love or anything like that. I just can’t see it happening between them, honestly. Also, please, PLEASE let me know what you thought of the porn! I'm very nervous and not very confident about how it came out so I'm dying for your every little impression of it. I need to know I don't suck, or if I DO suck I need to know why so I can fix it~


End file.
